March17/St. Paddy's Day

St. Paddy’s Day is here, and our St Paddy’s party is over. Mr. Radish was not here and it was harder to carry on by ourselves. He keeps the music going, and he keeps the Irish whiskey and beer flowing. My son-in-law, Bill, stepped in to fill the barkeep shoes buying mint-chocolate chip ice cream. Then he made this vile green Midori sour cocktail. He backed up this plan with Irish beer.

Not of Irish descent, he asked what St. Patrick’s Day meant to us. It was hard to explain. We had to think. My girls said, “a party”. It is one of those things, which I would say, you had to have been there. My husband has always loved the holiday, because it meant a lot of merriment to him. But also his grandparents, or great grandparents came from Ireland. He admired his Catholic grandfather who went to church every day. He admired what the man became, by his own work. He admired that he had a group of men over to play poker every week, offered a full bar, but did not drink himself.

Last night we had baked corned beef, and roasted, quartered potatoes with rosemary. The children did not like the corned beef, and one child was dubious about the potatoes. We said, “You have to eat them, they are Irish.” He asked, “Why?”

Then we tried to tell him about the Irish being poor, and all they could grow were potatoes. And then the potatoes would not grow, and they were very hungry, and many Irish moved to the United States. It is the Irish Americans who really started the holiday. In Ireland St. Patrick’s Day was just a plain old saint day.

In addition to wearing the name Calligan, my mother’s name was Ireland although she was probably German. We think her family got to Ellis Island and the name was too hard to understand, so they probably, in an effort to push through, just said their name was Ireland. If my sister reads this, she may weigh in. We now have two grandchildren whose first or second name is Calligan, and one granddaughter whose middle name is Ireland.

The story of the Irish in America is slipping away. Next year we will have a history lesson.

Comments

[klab]

Well, I'm happy to report that the life and times of St. Patrick are alive and well at the Catholic elementary schools. Our Thing 1 reported in great detail... and then proceeded to don every single piece of green clothing in her posession. Free Dress Day! No uniform required on St. Patrick's Day!!